


Invincible

by FloaromaMeadow



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Implied Past Abuse, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-09 20:44:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12896436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FloaromaMeadow/pseuds/FloaromaMeadow
Summary: Normally thieves disgust him, but for this he'd make an exception.





	Invincible

He sits alone in his bedroom, late at night. Shuffling his deck, reshuffling, fanning the cards out in uneven rows. They used to bring him comfort. One small source of joy, one thing in his life that he could control. But now they’re just dead cardstock in his hands. Another arena where he can’t afford to stumble.

He enters tournaments when he can find the time. The other contestants treat it like a joke, their voices and laughter echoing through the interchangeable convention centers and ringing sickeningly in his ears. He laughs too, but only when he wins, and it’s the hysterical laugh of a condemned man who’s earned himself a temporary reprieve.

On weekdays he stares down boardroom tables at men who’ve sold their souls for power and still hunger for more and they push and push and _push,_ sniffing for weaknesses, snapping at his heels, breath hot on his throat, and his face contorts itself into a smile— _What do you think you’re smiling about, young man? I’ll give you something to—_ but fear flickers in their stupid empty eyes, they read his bared teeth as a threat, not submission, and he holds it together until they leave and then he locks himself in his office and crumples against the door and shakes and shakes like he’s going to shake himself to pieces—

Someone’s going to notice. Sooner or later, someone’s going to notice. He can’t keep this up forever, the fear simmers inside of him, rises up in him, chokes him, drowns him, someone’s going to smell it on him, he’s going to lose he’s going to fail he’s going to die—

And then he finds it.

The moment he lays eyes on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, he remembers how to breathe again.

He feels…warm. Safe. All the things he hasn’t let himself miss in years. The painted dragon gleams in the shop light, giving off a gentle aura of protection.

If he had that card, he’d never lose.

If he had that card, he’d be invincible.

If he had that card, no one would ever hurt him again.

His fingers twitch toward it without his conscious command, and the old man snatches it away.  

He swallows his rage.

Fine. _Have it your way, you old fool._

One way or another, the dragon will be his.

(He’s not sure how long he’ll last without it.)


End file.
